More than 1,000 veterans will receive all-day rides as a result of local support

PITTSBURGH, Aug. 31, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Auditor General Jack Wagner today announced the annual Sharing & Caring boat ride to benefit hospitalized military veterans will be held Sept. 4-7 on Gateway Clipper Majestic. Passenger boarding begins at 10 a.m. each day, with Wagner on hand to greet veterans on Thursday and Friday; the boat sails at 11.

For many participating veterans, it will be their first time out of the hospital this year. About 1,000 veterans will be treated to lunch and a cruise on the Majestic.

"With our nation still fighting two wars, the Sharing & Caring boat ride is a way for us to show our appreciation for the men and women who safeguard our freedom,'' Wagner said.

Sharing & Caring is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of hospitalized veterans. The organization is composed of an all-volunteer staff that represents 16 different veterans groups, including the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled American Veterans, Marine Corps League and Korean War Veterans.

This is the 26th anniversary of the Sharing & Caring boat ride, which receives financial support from a charity golf tournament Wagner holds each July. This year, it was held July 16 at Edgewood Country Club, with Huntington Bank as the title sponsor. The golf tournament has raised more than $500,000 over the past two decades.

Wagner, a U.S. Marine veteran who received a Purple Heart for wounds sustained in the Vietnam War, said that the Sharing & Caring boat cruise is a unique way to benefit America's disabled veterans, many of whom are confined year-round to hospitals and nursing facilities. The boat cruise would not be possible without the golf tournament.

The Sharing & Caring cruise began in 1985. More than 500 veterans, confined to Veterans Administration hospitals and nursing homes, participated in the inaugural event.

For more information on Sharing & Caring, call 412-372-6584.

Auditor General Jack Wagner is responsible for ensuring that all state money is spent legally and properly. He is the commonwealth's elected independent fiscal watchdog, conducting financial audits, performance audits and special investigations. The Department of the Auditor General conducts thousands of audits each year. To learn more about the Department of the Auditor General, taxpayers are encouraged to visit the department's website at www.auditorgen.state.pa.us.